Then just before 6pm last night the party issued a statement confirming our earlier bombshell revelations.

An SNP spokesman said: “Following new information being received by the SNP over the course of the last 24 hours relating to the behaviour of Mark McDonald, he has been suspended from both the parliamentary group and the party while further investigation takes place.

“In the interests of due process and appropriate confidentiality no further comment will be made.”

McDonald said: “I have not been advised of any details relating to the information received by the party but I stand ready to fully cooperate with any investigation into this matter.

“I will make no further comment at this time and would ask that due process be allowed to take its course and that the privacy of my staff and my family is respected and that they be allowed to go about their daily lives without obstruction.”

In his statement on November 11 announcing he’d quit, Mr McDonald said: “It has been brought to my attention that some of my previous actions have been considered to be inappropriate – where I have believed myself to have been merely humorous or attempting to be friendly, my behaviour might have made others uncomfortable or led them to question my intentions.

“My behaviour is entirely my responsibility and I apologise unreservedly to anyone I have upset or who might have found my behaviour inappropriate.”